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Monday, July 13, 2009

Jesse James Hollywood is now a convicted murderer after four days of jury deliberation. Last Wednesday, a jury decided that Jesse James was indeed guilty of the murder of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz. Hikers found Nicholas buried in a shallow grave at a place called Lizard’s Mouth in the mountains above Santa Barbara on August 12, 2000. After 9 years the Nicholas' family finally has some closure and sentencing will start this morning.

Jesse James Hollywood is eligible for the death penalty because the conviction comes with a special circumstance enhancement due to the fact that the murder was committed during a kidnapping. "Prosecutors believed Hollywood and friends kidnapped Markowitz as the result of a $1,200 drug debt Markowitz’s older brother, Ben, a former marijuana dealer friend of Hollywood’s, owed. An ongoing feud escalated over time. One day, as Hollywood was looking for Ben Markowitz, he instead came across Nick and threw him in a van. Less than three days later, Nick Markowitz was shot nine times and killed by Hollywood’s friend Ryan Hoyt."

Whenever drugs and alcohol are involved with acts of crime bad things are sure to happen to those involved. Decision making is obscured and people make rash choices as seen in Jesse James Hollywood's case. No matter the sentence Jesse receives, his life is ruined and a young boy was killed; we can't help but say, "for what", how could any of this be worth it? Nicholas' family may have some closure in this case but they no longer have a son; and they also have to live with the fact that their other son Ben was directly involved with the string of circumstances that led up to his brother's kidnapping and ultimately his murder.

It will be interesting to see if Hollywood receives the death penalty or life in prison. Let me know what your thoughts are on the conviction?

P.S. Don't forget to tune in to A&E tonight for Intervention to see Bret's Story. I will be back on Wednesday to talk about Bret's story.